Chapter 1, Annihilation of the Family

The rain outside has stopped, but the entire village is silent. I was afraid of dirtying my clothes, so I opened the door from the outside to change the groom's outfit and then ran towards the millstone.

I heard him say that he would cry upon hearing these words, saying that he would not go anywhere and would just stay by his grandfather's side

Grandfather heard the sound and asked from outside. I was so frightened that I couldn't respond in time and turned to crawl outside. It was only when I reached the entrance of the hole that I cried out, saying I had seen a dead person

"Er Lai Zi!" Someone recognized it and shouted.

Dongzi and I did not dare to make a sound, and it took us half an hour to crawl out. We went from house to house searching, but whether it was people or livestock, they were all dead

I was so frightened that my face turned pale, and I absolutely refused to go, saying that there were so many adults, why should a child like me go. The villagers remained silent, and my grandfather said that only I could go down to the grave.

"Good child, don't cry!" Grandfather struggled to sit up, took out a plastic bag from his bosom, and stuffed it into my arms. "Take this and go find your wife. Don't let anyone see you on the way, remember, don't report..."

In front of the shed, I saw the corpse of Er Lai Zi hanging from the beam, its head tilted, swaying back and forth in the cold wind

Finally exhausted from crying, I sat in the blood, continuously calling out for Grandpa. At that moment, someone shouted from the dry grass under the shed: "Brother Shitou!"

In front of the dilapidated grave lay a scene of chaos, with numerous bodies of villagers scattered about. I rushed to the collapsed grave and saw my grandfather lying in the muddy water, his body covered in scratches, and the exposed flesh was all black.

Thinking of my grandfather, I no longer felt fear, and I crawled and ran forward. The road to the grinding stone was littered with corpses, all of them villagers, each with a wooden nail driven into their foreheads

When I was studying, my deskmate had a girlfriend, and they held hands every day. I even saw them hiding to kiss. Just thinking about it makes me envious. If I had a wife, I could also kiss her little lips.

Grandfather did not come up, and Zhetou crawled back in. After a moment, he emerged holding a small coffin, and upon opening it, there was a small red figure inside, with a wooden nail driven into its forehead.

But soon, my grandfather brought a rope, allowing me to go in and tie up the corpse, which they then pulled out from the outside

As I turned the corner, I saw the village chief lying on the ground, with rainwater around him stained a deep red. Fearful, I walked over, and upon getting a clearer view, I was so frightened that I let out a strange cry and fell back into the muddy water

When he cried, I also began to cry. After a while, I choked out a question asking if he had seen my grandfather. Su Dong nodded and pointed to the mountain, saying, "Third Grandfather went after the person who harmed us to the back mountain."

Grandfather took me home and had me change into the groom's attire. The village chief and several young men were in the courtyard burning that small coffin, and the little blood person inside was also smashed to pieces

In the middle of the night, the dogs at the village entrance began to bark wildly, and soon the chickens, ducks, and cows joined in, their cries so piercing that they sent chills down one's spine

My heavens, at that moment it collapsed, and I fell onto my grandfather, my eyes bloodshot, wailing and crying uncontrollably

Grandfather! I cried and shouted, continuously digging through the pile of bodies.

In the evening, grandfather changed his clothes and instructed us to stay hidden in the house, telling us not to make a sound no matter who called. I anxiously looked at the clothes I was wearing and asked if we would not open the door even if the daughter-in-law came.

Dongzi's eyes widened in shock as he pointed at them, about to shout. I quickly rushed over to cover his mouth, not daring to stand up, and crawled all the way back to the village, hiding beneath the dry grass in the green shed

However, I did not wait for the new bride, but an incident occurred in the village

His expression suddenly darkened, and he asked my wife if she still wanted to go; if not, there would be no new wife.

The solitary grave has collapsed, the blue stone tombstone has cracked in the middle, and fragments of stone are scattered all over the ground. The collapsed area reveals a large hole, dark and obscured, with nothing visible.

I nodded vigorously, determined to seek revenge

These days, my mind is filled with thoughts of my wife. When he startled me, I genuinely feared losing her, so I crawled in with my hands and feet drawn in, holding a flashlight.

Grandfather's hands trembled, and he said in a shaking voice, "How many years has it been, yet it still does not want to let us go!"

The village chief's eyes were wide open in shock, his face pale, with a wooden nail driven into the center of his brow, and he had long since lost his breath

Grandfather

While I was still pondering what was frightening about the small coffin, my grandfather stood up and said, "A few people should carry Er Laizi to the village millstone, and those who have dogs at home should bring them to the millstone as well. Whether it is a blessing or a curse, if it is a curse, it cannot be avoided; fearing it is of no use."

I rushed over and held him in my arms, crying heart-wrenchingly. But at that moment, my grandfather suddenly moved, struggling to open his eyes and asked me, "Where are the people from the village?"

That night, I hid alone under the covers, feeling uncomfortable in the groom's clothes, yet I still dozed off in a daze

That night, a sudden downpour occurred, accompanied by continuous thunder. The next day, the village chief was outside shouting loudly. Grandfather put on a coat and got up to open the door. As soon as he entered, he exclaimed: "Third Uncle, the grave has collapsed"

Not knowing how much time had passed, Dongzi had stopped crying and clenched his fists, saying, "Brother Shitou, what should we do?"

I am quite curious about what is happening outside, but remembering my grandfather's words, I still did not dare to go out

I have forgotten how to be afraid, my body is covered in blood-red mud, I keep searching, but there is not a single living person, nor do I see my grandfather

The flashlight illuminated a pale dead face, with eyes wide open, standing rigidly.

On the first day of each month, my grandfather would take me to offer incense. After burning the paper, he would touch my head and say, in a few years, I will no longer be able to keep you here

The livestock had their necks twisted off, the children left at home were all hung from the beams, and the adults had wooden nails driven into their foreheads

A sudden silence enveloped the surroundings. My grandfather asked me if I had seen who it was, and I wiped my tears and replied that I had not seen clearly. In such a situation, it would be strange to see clearly.

Grandfather smiled faintly, somewhat reluctantly, and repeated what he had just said. Only after I assured him that I had remembered did he lock the door from the outside

Before long, several individuals indeed arrived, all wearing masks that obscured their features. One could only hear a person say: The earth's veins have been restored, and with the blood sacrifice of the Su family, it should be nearly complete

Although I feel that my grandfather has become quite confused in his old age, I still have a certain expectation in my heart. If he were to have a wife, what would she be like?

I absolutely refuse to go, even if it means being without a wife. My grandfather was so furious that he could only slap his thigh in frustration, and in the end, he had no choice but to go himself, dragging out a corpse.

Dongzi cried out, "Brother Shitou, we must seek revenge!"

The livestock had been calling for over an hour, and the village finally fell silent. At that moment, I heard a sound in the courtyard. I quietly pulled back the curtain to take a look and saw several dark figures leaving through my front door

Grandfather's expression was unpredictable; after a long while, he called me over and asked me to go down and see what was inside

There is a pile of solitary graves on the back mountain of my home, which have been well maintained. My grandfather said that they suppress the malevolent energy of the mountain, and with them, the people in the village can live in peace and safety

As I was about to turn fifteen, my grandfather asked me to drop out of school and return home. I do not know why, but for the past six months, the people in the village have been afraid of me, whether they are elders or younger ones; they all behave submissively when they see me

The edge of the grinding stone was strewn with corpses, and even a dozen large dogs did not escape. Blood was everywhere on the ground

On the last day, my grandfather began to impart some things, instructing me to be obedient, not to cause trouble, and to live well. He also gave me a silver bracelet, saying that there was nothing valuable in the house, and that the bracelet was left by my grandmother, to be given to my future wife.

Little Prince is my nickname. When I was younger, my friends would call me that, and I felt particularly proud. As I grew older, it started to feel quite awkward to hear it. I told them not to call me that anymore, and eventually, no one did. It seemed like they were afraid of something.

I still will not go

Grandfather listened and laughed happily, patting my head and saying, "You are the little prince consort; when you turn fifteen, your wife will come to call for you"

Grandfather has also become strange, preparing a complete set of groom's attire for me, with red on the outside and white on the inside

Grandfather, upon reaching this point, made a gurgling sound in his throat, unable to speak, his eyes wide open, his face turning pale. Suddenly, he pushed me away and took out a wooden nail from his bosom, forcefully driving it into his own forehead

In the late night, heavy rain began to fall outside, accompanied by rolling thunder. I huddled at the head of the bed, trembling with fear, and only crawled out of the window at dawn

Su Family Village is not large, with only over thirty households, all bearing the surname Su, and they are very united in times of trouble. Before evening, a shelter was erected for the body of Er Laizi, surrounded by a dozen large dogs tied up nearby

Dongzi began to cry again, "They are all dead, Third Grandfather, my father and my mother are both dead!"

I was well and good, sitting all day on the threshold, watching the entrance of the village, eagerly awaiting the arrival of the new bride

I shivered as I took a glance, and indeed it was Er Laizi. He was not from our village; he had come from outside several years ago. Usually idle and carefree, he would wander from one household to another. The villagers despised him to the core, and now that he is dead, I wonder how many people will applaud in delight.

The large creatures that usually roam the village freely on weekdays are particularly quiet today, whimpering while lying on the ground with their tails tucked between their legs

The sky is overcast, and it has started to rain again. Dongzi and I stand shivering in the rain, and we are the only two left in Sujia Village.

I climbed up and ran towards the back mountain, and Dongzi followed behind me

I just don't know whether my daughter-in-law is good-looking, and thinking of this makes me worried again

I still remember the terrifyingly pale expression on my grandfather's face at that time. Later, the villagers all ran up the mountain, and I followed my grandfather to see.

I woke up and wanted to drag my grandfather's body down the mountain, but it was too heavy. Just then, a few men in black appeared on the distant mountain road

A few people nodded, cut the rope that was tying Er Lai Zi, and hurriedly carried the body away

Seven days before my birthday, he asked me to try on the wedding dress, as if he were really getting married. But where is the bride?

Suddenly, I bumped my head against something. I looked up and was so startled that I let out a strange scream

"Third Master!" The village chief saw the little person and sat down on the ground with a thud, trembling all over. Everyone's faces turned pale.

Last night there was a heavy rain, and it was all muddy water inside. Moreover, upon entering, I found the hole to be somewhat deep. I bit down on the flashlight with my mouth and crawled forward, feeling both cold and dirty, without having the time to be afraid.

I hurriedly looked over, and Su Dong crawled out from under the green shed, his face covered in blood. After coming out, he cried out loudly, "They are all dead, they are all dead!"